The word of the day is casuistry:
Etymology:
< French casuiste (Spanish casuista , Italian casista ), < Latin cāsus case
The science, art, or reasoning of the casuist; that
part of Ethics which resolves cases of conscience, applying the general
rules of religion and morality to particular instances in which
‘circumstances alter cases’, or in which there appears to be a conflict
of duties. Often (and perhaps originally) applied to a quibbling or
evasive way of dealing with difficult cases of duty; sophistry. (OED)
"Aside from staged eccentricity, freak tourism, and eye-popping spectacle, Ripley trafficked in anachronism, hyperbole, and casuistry."
- Jill Lepore, "The odyssey: Robert Ripley and his world", 3 June 2013 The New Yorker
No comments:
Post a Comment